A Short History
of the Philadelphia Geological Society

by Ben Greeley, President

Although there are rumors that the PGS began with Ben
Franklin, the modern PGS was extant in the pre-War and post-War years. Its
early incarnation was led by Professor Ed Watson of Bryn Mawr College, according
to Bill Crawford. Unfortunately, details of meeting and speakers are lost to
history. It was likely that speakers invited to give seminars to the students
remained on campus through the evening to speak to the society.

The next incarnation of the Society was in the winter
of 1960-61 when Dr. Howard A. Meyerhoff, then the chairman of the Department
of Geology at the University of Pennsylvania, convened a meeting to organize
the Society. In attendance were faculty from other colleges and
representatives from academies and industry (see list below). A more formal
organization with three elected officers was created (see List of Officers).

Mimeographed membership lists and financial statements
from that time list the speakers’ surnames but specific information is
missing. Dr. Lucian Platt recalled that meetings were in the afternoon.
Active members attended from the greater Philadelphia area, representing not
only the academic institutions but also Sun Oil Company and International
Exploration. At least two field trips also took place, one of which was led
by an Academy of Sciences paleontologist.

The speakers to the Society have been familiar to those
in the local universities and colleges and some have been important to the
history of geology (see List of Speakers). We
have been fortunate to have AAPG Distinguished Lecturers and other speakers from
around the country visit our group. The most frequent speaker has been Dr.
Gene Ulmer, of Temple University. The topic most often presented has been
exploration geophysics.

In 1979 an Ad Hoc Committee on Procedure formulated a
formal mission statement (see home page). Lucian
Platt, Ronald Hartman, and Alice Hoersch were the committee. The status of
the PGS has followed the fortunes of the local geological community, swelling
in membership in the 1980s. However, in 1996 dwindling meeting attendance
prompted then Secretary-Treasurer David Smith to appeal to the membership to
decide whether the PGS should continue as an organization. Fortunately,
through the efforts of the officers since that time, the Society was not
allowed to become moribund.

If you are reading this, then you have the desire to
ensure that the PGS has not only a history, but a future as well. Please
contribute any information you have about our past activities.

Many thanks to Mr. Heyward Wharton for compiling the
list of officers and contributing the announcements, newsletters, meeting
handouts, and financial statements from which we compiled the list of
speakers and this history. Heyward began the PGS history project in 1996. We
also acknowledge the contributions of Dr. Lucian Platt, Dr. Bill Crawford,
and the late William Fergusson.

PGS Lore on the
Lighter Side

When Professor Ed Watson at Bryn Mawr led the PGS, the
seminars included a significant social element well lubricated by the
Society’s private supply of beer. On one occasion a distinguished visitor was
being escorted around the school by the Bryn Mawr president. The Geology
Department’s keg had been stored in the basement lab, which had overheated.
The keg burst, spreading an odor unavoidable to notice. The department’s lab
was of course on the visitor’s itinerary. No one said a word as Professor
Watson led the president and her visitor around the Department. At the formal
reception that evening, the president said to Watson with a gleam in her eye,
“Oh, Edward, you thought you could pull a fast one on us, didn’t you?”

Philadelphia Geological Society Officers

Year

President

Secretary

Treasurer

Dues-

Paying

Members

Number

of

Meetings

1960–1965

No information.

1966

Alice Weeks

1967

Irwin Remson

1968

Albert W. Weeks

1969

Robert Greenwood

Juliet Reed

Albert W. Weeks

94

7

1970

Robert Greenwood

Juliet Reed

Albert W. Weeks

80

5

1971–1972

Ron A. Hartman

(VP: Robert
Giegengack)

Bruce Saunders

Albert W. Weeks

91

6

1973–1974

Albert W. Weeks

72

5

1975

Albert W. Weeks

59

5

1976

William Crawford

Albert W. Weeks

76

6

1977

Albert W. Weeks

77

5

1978–1979

William Fergusson

Albert W. Weeks

72

5

1980

Alice M. Hoersch

69

6

1981

Alice M. Hoersch

67

5

1982

William A. Crawford

Barry Bergman

64

6

1983

William A. Crawford

Barry Bergman

1984–1987

No information.

1988–1989

Robert Giegengack

Richard Bischke

1990

Robert Giegengack

Bud Alcock

1991–1992

Bud Alcock

1993

Maria Luisa Crawford

1994–1995

Danielle Michelman

David Smith

1996

Henry Bienkowski

David Hassrick

1997–1999

Benjamin Greeley

Henry Bienkowski

2000–

Benjamin Greeley

Joseph Tomalavage

This table was compiled by Ben Greeley from information kindly
provided by long-time member Heyward Wharton.